1944 [n.h]

Epilogue

I sat at the chair against the vanity table, dreamily looking out the window that the mirror leaned up against. In the distance I could see the sea, white dashes marking the crashing waves as seagulls dove and swooped around. I smiled in a daze before glancing over the photos on the table, amongst the little bottles of perfume.

My favourite photo stood tallest, we had it framed in a thin golden outline. The photo was of Niall and I, two years ago on our wedding day. 27th of April, 1949.

We were married on a quiet spring day in the local church, after being together for four years solidly after Niall came back to the village from war. We saved up and were able to have his parents over at the wedding, alongside my own family and a few friends. It was small and it was quiet but it was the best day of my life, cliché, I know.

Niall and I, for the past six years, had spent every single day together, and I wasn't bored of him in the slightest, I don't think I would ever get bored of Niall.

A year or so after Niall came back to me, he told me had bought the house amongst the hills. He'd bought me my castle and we moved in the following month. We'd been here ever since and it was my own heaven on earth, my piece of paradise.

Pulling me from my thoughts, I heard a whimper from the crib in the corner, followed by loud banging of hammers against wood coming from the garden.

I padded to the crib and picked up the small baby, cooing softly and holding him against my chest, brushing his thin and sparse curls out of his eyes. Robbie squirmed slightly, his feet digging in to my hip as he rubbed his eyes before leaning back in to me and falling asleep like nothing had happened.

I brought him downstairs and laid him in the bassinet, rocking it gently as he settled down. I walked to the back door, a tall heavy oak thing with a little window in, which I peeped through, watching Niall work inside our little fenced off garden. Beyond the fence was more fields. We were surrounded by fields, our little castle cast amongst an isolated city of green.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to wake the baby?" I called, walking out of the heavy oak doors and down the cobbled pathway in to the garden Niall was working in, hammers and nails and wood laying beneath him and oil smudged on his face.

"Robbie'll be fine." He chuckled, looking up from his attempt at building the tiny chair for the three month old baby. "He's a heavy sleeper" he teased as I grinned, padding towards him as Niall wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in to his chest and leaning his head back to look at me. The distant sounds of waves crashing against each other played constantly in the background, seagulls squawking above us, ducking and diving around the turret of our home.

"Mm, just like his father, right?" I smiled as an angelic laugh escaped Nialls lips and his nodded, waddling us backwards to the fence surrounding the field of our house, lifting me up and sitting me on it as I grinned and shook my head.

Niall stared at me with a smile etched across his face and his hair all over his face.

Sometimes, when I looked at Niall, I saw a glimpse of the nineteen year old I fell in love with and it made my heart fly like a bird, high up in the clouds and swooping, singing a beautiful song. Niall had pulled me out of a life I was drowning in and given me a reason to live and to smile. He had given me all I've ever wanted.

"What time is the family coming over?" he asked softly, breaking the silence as my hair blew everywhere with the coastal wind. I bit my lip in thought for a moment, my mother and brothers were supposed to be coming around for tea and to see the baby but I couldn't remember what time they had said originally.

"Should be here by three" I whispered as he grinned and nodded, catching my flyaway hair and tying it up with the elastic band that was snapped around my wrist.

"Can't see ye' with all that hair." Another chuckled escaped his lips as I rolled my eyes and leant forward, kissing the space between his eyebrows, causing his face to scrunch up.

"So" I sighed and pulled myself off the fence, fixing the lining of Nialls jacket. "How about we give the attempt at being Mr handy man a rest for today?" I watched as his face lit up in amusement and he nodded.

We walked back through the field and indoors as I smiled warmly, baby Robbie asleep in the corner in the bassinet, tufts of dark blonde hair curling around his face. I walked over to him and leant over, stroking his soft cheek with my finger as I grinned tiredly, Niall coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist, his face pressing against my shoulder as I felt his smile dent against me.

"Who's baby is that?" he teased as I laughed a bit too loudly and shook my head, Robbie stirring and stretching as I went back to stroking his cheek to keep him asleep.

"It would be yours, Mr Horan." I whispered and turned around to face him as he rose his eyebrows and grinned. Niall's smile still gave me shivers, it had the exact same effect it had on me six years ago. It made me feel like a teenager again.

"Well what a surprise." he chuckled and dipped his head, kissing me softly and running his fingers through my tangled hair. "A very big surprise, Mrs Horan." He whispered against the kiss as I pulled away and shook my head.

"Watch it, eh?" I whispered as he chuckled and sauntered upstairs to get changed as I smiled and glanced at Robbie before quickly following him up the creaky wooden stairs and in to the bedroom, stopping by the door and watching as he lifted his shirt over his head and dropped it to the bed.

I still came over shy and flustered whenever I was up close with Niall, in awe that I had him to call my own. Even watching him now, I could feel the blush creeping up on my cheeks and my knees turning in to jelly at the mere sight of him.

"I can see you" Niall sang quietly, wiggling his hips for show as I jumped before laughing and padding in to the bedroom. He turned to me and grinned, his hands resting on my waist as he stood in front of me in his underwear.

"Did you enjoy the show then nosy?" he teased causing my cheeks to go even redder as I shrugged. A laugh escaped his lips as he leant down and kissed me softly.

"Sorry" I laughed faintly as he smirked and shrugged, his cheeks rosy and gleeful as he flicked his wrists and pinned me down to our feathery bed. A squeal flew out of my mouth alongside a loud laugh as Niall flopped on top of me, resting his forearms either side of my head to support his weight.

"Why be sorry?" He whispered and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as I smiled up at him and shook my head.

"I don't know." I laughed quietly as he chuckled and mimicked me by shaking his head, his blonde hair falling over his eyes slightly.

Niall leaned down and kissed me ever so softly, his tongue gliding along my bottom lip before pressing against my own as I gasped and tilted my head to meet his, my hands wrapping in his hair and tugging on it as he chuckled through the kiss.

"Always the eager one." He teased quietly, his teeth grazing over my lip and his nose bumping clumsily against mine.

"Hush you." I murmured and shook my head as he smiled and pressed his lips against mine, reigniting the kiss ever so gently.

"I love you so much." He mumbled, the words falling in to my mouth as I smiled even more against the kiss, a liquidy warm feeling coursing through me, from my head to my toes. Complete and utter happiness and content. I was blissfully peaceful and exultant. I couldn't have been happier with any other person walking this earth.

I was one of the lucky ones. I'd found my soulmate in the form of a blonde haired soldier, he'd been my saviour and the love of my life.

I discovered long ago that home didn't have to be four walls and a roof. But a home could be two eyes and a heartbeat, one so pure and so genuine it made yours swell with pride.

I'd found my home in Niall Horan.

And he's found his in me.

The End of 1944.